Juiced

As many insiders expected, San Diego mayor Jerry Sanders appointed a reliable campaign contributor to the regional airport authority seat that was vacated earlier this year by another faithful giver, Alan Bersin, who left to become Barack Obama’s border czar. The new face belongs to Democratic donor Robert Gleason, chief financial officer of Mission Bay’s Evans Hotels. Since 2006, according to city records, Gleason has personally given a total of $3360 to the mayor and city councilmembers, including $620 to Sanders, $270 to Todd Gloria, $270 to Marti Emerald, and $250 to Tony Young. He’s also given $320 to the campaign of City Attorney Jan Goldsmith and backed the San Diego Democratic Party and the Washington-based Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund. Over the years, of course, Gleason’s employer, the Republican Evans family, has given hundreds of thousands of dollars to the campaigns of many generations of local elected officials. Council Democrats threatened to torpedo the mayor’s first choice, GOP stalwart John Davies, forcing Sanders to withdraw his nomination. … Lobbyist John Dadian threw himself a 51st birthday bash last week at downtown’s University Club and invited his clients and a roster of local public officials to help celebrate. “Why?” he asked in a rhetorical email. “Because as Jimmy Buffett would say, I’m growing older but not up.” But the politicos won’t have to report the booze: “No-Host Cocktails (yeah, that means you have to buy your own. For non–University Club members, they’ll take credit cards.)” An attached PowerPoint presentation highlighted Dadian’s TV appearances and some of his activities on behalf of local charities and the GOP, including having two pet dogs wear John McCain neck scarves. He also backed the campaign of Democratic city councilman Todd Gloria.